Sciencemadness Discussion Board

palladium sponge

chemrox - 21-12-2010 at 19:20

what is palladium sponge? I need palladium acetate and I have PdCl2 and Pd/C. The procedure I have for making Pd acetate is via Pd sponge.

mr.crow - 21-12-2010 at 19:32

Would a nitric acid/acetic acid solution work? I have shown how vigorously normal aqua regia attacks palladium coins, I don't think sponge is needed

smuv - 21-12-2010 at 19:49

probably palladium sponge = palladium black; just finely divided Pd. If this is not the case, then I am sure any finely divided Pd source should easily substitute. It may also be possible to simply substitute PdCl2 for whatever you want to do or make the acetate via metathesis of the chloride...

DDTea - 21-12-2010 at 20:05

I imagine it's the Palladium equivalent of Raney nickel, which was the first "sponge metal" catalyst for organic reductions.

Fleaker - 21-12-2010 at 20:54

Quote: Originally posted by mr.crow  
Would a nitric acid/acetic acid solution work? I have shown how vigorously normal aqua regia attacks palladium coins, I don't think sponge is needed



Nitric and acetic acids should never be mixed or refluxed if concentrated!! That wikipedia article which gave you that idea is slightly misinformed.

Also, palladium sponge is not the same as palladium black. Palladium black is prepared by reduction of chloropallidic acid (H2PdCl6) with ammonium formate or borohydride. Palladium sponge is prepared by reduction of any palladium salt with hydrazine, or by heating (NH4)2PdCl6, a brick-red compound, until it gives off ammonium chloride and chlorine gas. What's left behind is a gray sponge that settles easily if put in water. The same holds true for rhodium, platinum, and the rest of the sisters.

The activities are wildly different--palladium black holds hydrogen quite well--in fact, palladium blacks I have made must be heated in vacuo to completely remove the hydrogen stuck onto them.

If one wants palladium acetate, one should start from palladium black and place it in refluxing glacial acetic acid and then cautiously add oxidizer. Alternatively, make the complex nitrate with a slight excess of Pd present, and reflux that with GAA until no more brown fumes are present. The solution will be a vivid orange-red that is yellow on dilution.

@Chemrox

PdCl2 can be used in lieu of the acetate in many catalytic reactions.

Alternatively, I may have some Pd(OAc)2 to spare you.

hkparker - 22-12-2010 at 01:09

Quote: Originally posted by Fleaker  

Nitric and acetic acids should never be mixed or refluxed if concentrated!!


Just curious, but why not?

Fleaker - 22-12-2010 at 07:48

Oxidation/Reduction.

Technically, you're not supposed to store GAA and 16M or greater HNO3 in the same acid cabinet.

entropy51 - 22-12-2010 at 09:37

Quote: Originally posted by chemrox  
what is palladium sponge? I need palladium acetate and I have PdCl2 and Pd/C. The procedure I have for making Pd acetate is via Pd sponge.
The Pt sponge that I have made resembles granules of aquarium filter charcoal or black pumice stone. It seems to be a more active catalyst than Pt black. There are recipes for its preparation in the old journals. Also see Platinum black.

chemrox - 22-12-2010 at 14:08

@Fleaker- thank you my friend! Most particularly for the answer to my question. Also for the Pd(Oac)2 you can spare (if any).